The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) is looking to remove Rudy Giuliani from its membership, citing his involvement in inciting last week’s attack against the Capitol.
“Thankfully, Congress overcame this assault and fulfilled its constitutional responsibility in certifying the Biden-Harris victory. However, we must address the root cause of this abhorrent incident, the blame for which lies first and foremost with President Donald Trump,” NYSBA said in a release.
“But the president did not act alone. Hours before the angry mob stormed the Capitol walls, Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, addressed a crowd of thousands at the White House, reiterating baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the presidential election and the Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs,” the organization continued, noting that it has “received hundreds of complaints in recent months about Mr. Giuliani and his baseless efforts on behalf of President Trump to cast doubt on the veracity of the 2020 presidential election and, after the votes were cast, to overturn its legitimate results.”
Giuliani will be entitled to due process and will be given the opportunity to explain himself or “defend his words and actions.”
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The announcement is not the same as disbarment. NYSBA is a voluntary organization. Disbarment is the business of the courts.
The news comes after Middlebury College announced it would consider revoking Giuliani’s honorary degree. The school’s president, Laurie Patton, said the college began the process against Giuliani, citing his “fomenting the violent uprising against our nation’s Capitol building on January 6, 2021 — an insurrection against democracy itself.”
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
